Sabah deserves more Covid-19 funds, says state minister

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah’s health minister, Frankie Poon, has urged the federal government to allocate more funds to the state to handle the Covid-19 outbreak.

In welcoming the additional allocation of RM130 million for the federal ministry of health, announced today, Poon said that Sabah needed a higher allocation as it had a bigger land mass with challenging terrain and a high population.

“In terms of medical facilities, we have between 24 and 26 hospitals, with six being used to treat Covid-19 patients. The state also has the third highest number of confirmed patients in the country,” he said.

“It is all the more reason the federal government should allocate more funds to Sabah and we need it fast,” he told FMT.

Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin announced an additional RM130 million for distribution equally to all states to assist in handling the Covid-19 outbreak.